grow your blog audience

If you have been paying attention, then you understand that you need to be blogging. There is this big push for you to start a blog, whether you are a business owner looking for more exposure or if you are looking for something else to do to earn a little side change (something strange for a piece of change… lol nevermind..). If you have ever read this blog before you know I’m a big fan (of the blog, not something strange).

So now that you’ve jumped in to these sometimes murky blogging waters there are a few things that you NEED to know about growing a blog. If you haven’t noticed, it’s not all that easy.

7 Things You Need To Know Right This Minute About Growing A Blog

1. No one knows you and no one gives a shit about you or your blog

There, I said it. That’s the truth. No one is going to come to read your blog just because you are you (even though you and I both know that you are awesome). Last I checked, there are MILLIONS of blogs out there, MILLIONS of people blogging about exactly what you are blogging about, and MILLIONS of people working on growing a blog that no one cares about.

So HOW do you MAKE them care?

2. There has to be SOMETHING in it for THEM

We are all selfish. Everyone wants to know what’s in it for them. Hell, I want to know the same thing. If I am going read your blog then it has to benefit me in some way or be just flat out entertaining. What is it that will make people want to read your blog? If you don’t know… your blog won’t grow until you figure that out.

3. If you build it, they WON’T just come

This isn’t the field of dreams, just because you have a dream and build a blog doesn’t mean anyone will come. You’ll have to do a little marketing (internet, social media, email) to really make a splash. And you will need to know a little SEO for your blog.

4. Not all traffic is created equal

I used to care about traffic. Now all I care about is conversions. I don’t care if 10,000 people are coming to my blog if no one is signing up for email, leaving comments, joining me on Facebook, or buying my shit. It’s not like I am an exhibit at the museum. I need traffic that does more than read and leave like a bad one night stand.

I want to convert. So focus less on volume, more on quality and conversions. Same goes for your social media numbers.

5. Email lists are the lifeblood of blogs

You own your email list. If something ever happens and Facebook shuts down, WordPress pulls its software, Twitter tanks, you still have your core following right at your fingertips.

Plus, those are the people who will buy from you. If you want to make any money from your blog you will eventually have to sell something sorry. And when you do, it’ll be your email list that will generate the most cash flow.

6. You don’t have to be a great writer to be a great blogger

But there is a method to the madness. You can’t just slap up some half-assed content and expect people to love it. Great bloggers know how to entertain, inform, and also know how to make it look decent on a computer screen so their readers don’t want to claw their eyes out. You just need to learn how to write a good blog post.

Quick Tip: lose the long, boring, fluff-filled paragraphs, say hello to headings, subheadings, bullets, numbers, and paragraphs that are no longer than 5 LINES! And say what you mean in the easiest, shortest way possible.

7. Bloggin’ ain’t easy

Neither is pimpin, but the rewards can be amazing for you if you stick to it. You have to be in it for the long haul. And growing a blog doesn’t happen overnight, but keep learning, keep writing great content, and keep interacting with your audience and it will grow.

Need more tips on growing a blog? This is where I tell you to sign up for the email… you know, the lifeblood of my blog. In hopes that someday you might buy something from me. No, I’m not giving you anything for free (see this post for explaination), other than my good looks and general awesomeness.

Oh and I talk about blogging, making money from it, SEO, and social media too 🙂 See you on the inside!

May Cause Miracles… I just love saying that. I wish that it would have been an orignal thought of mine, but it is not. If you haven’t heard of Gabrielle Bernstein or her book May Cause Miracles, then allow me to intorduce you. Then I’ll tell you how being real will help you grow your blog audience.

Gabby is a spiritual leader, a forward thinking, awesome woman. She just released her 3rd book: May Cause Miracles. And naturally, I downloaded it. I zoomed through the introduction and I knew that this book would be best digested with wine and girlfriends.

So I created a Facebook group and invited some friends (you are invited too! Go HERE sorry guys, ladies only!) I thought it would be a great way to share myself, my love, and grow together with some women who are looking to WIN in 2013. Maybe we can cause miracles togeher? Who knows?

How Being Real Can Grow Your Blog Audience

I shared this little tidbit because I wanted to illustrate how being real can grow your blog audience. Marketing is no longer about pushing and telling. Marketing, especially social media, is about sharing stories. It’s about building trust, relationships, and connecting with people.

Who is reading your blog?

Just because you are writing a blog about social media, marketing, or whatever, doesn’t mean that there is nothing else that you can talk about or that your audience wants to hear.

Mostly women read my blog, and mostly business owners. But these people also have families, they feel things, they want to grow spiritually, and mentally, as well as in business.

Being REAL means letting people see other sides of you. That’s what makes the connection. When I say “I am a single mother”, another single mother may read that and instantly feel a connection to me. Because that woman knows that I can relate to her and she can relate to me. These are the people who will be your loyal readers. Those who feel connected.

Don’t believe me? Do this test. Go to your Facebook page and post a graphic with a quote about something relevant to your business. I do this all the time, like a quote about blogging or marketing. Then, post a picture of a cute sleeping dog, or your pet cat playing, etc. See what gets the most likes.

I can tell you right now, puppy pics will win every time. Why? Because your audience likes puppies too! One of my most liked posts ever on my Facebook page was a picture of my niece’s name in front of her school announcing that she was student of the year.

If you are looking to grow your blog audience, then start being real. It is the fastest way to your readers hearts.